Luke 8:1 And it happened that
subsequently he traveled to the cities and villages, preaching and
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God, 2 as well as the twelve
who were with him and the women, some of whom had been healed of evil spirits
and illnesses, Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out 3
and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others
who ministered to them from their resources.

Luke 8:1 Soon afterwards he
went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news
of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as some
women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called
Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

Luke 8:1 After this, Jesus traveled
about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the
kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who
had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from
whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

A. Issues

1. Prominent
women probably preached alongside Jesus and the twelve

a. According to Kay - we cannot prove from this passage that women were "preachers," but you can't disprove it either

b. According to Andy - it is true this passage cannot "disprove" the fact women weren't "preachers," but I still think that the rest of Jesus' actions do not give a good, solid biblical example
of women teaching

2. Problem
of translation with a particular set of expectations

B. Junia - Romans 16:7 - could be a reference to Joanna of Luke 8

1. Is referred to as "prominent amongst apostles"

2. 13th century - people thought it was inappropriate for a women to be an apostle so they changed her name to Junias - They thought the text was strong enough to indicate the person being talked about was an apostle that they changed the name

3. There
is no record of a person with that name anywhere

II. Jesus and His Emancipatory Movement for Change

A. Remember - Jesus was not alone in creating this movement

1. Important
method

2. Search here is not the "historical Jesus" but the "historical People"

a. Jesus didn't do this ministry totally alone

b. The problem is, since Jesus was God, most the time in stories about
Jesus the others get minimized (somewhat rightfully so, but we still need to
see what others did around Him)

B. Did Patriarchy Exist in the Early Jesus Movement? - Yes

1. But
Jesus fought against it

2. Mark
10:42-45

III. Importance
of the Fellow Women Travelers

A. Let's define "apostle"

1. Literally,
the one who is sent out

2. Acts
1 Criteria

a. See the risen Lord

b. Be with Jesus since the beginning

B. The three named women - Mary Magdalene, Joanna, wife of Chuza, Suzanna

1. May
have preached

a. Luke 8:1 (Andy's interpratation: it is a little week)

b. Later church tradition

2. Patrons - thus high status

a. Joanna especially would have been of very high status

C. Why no women among the 12?

1. We don't even know who the 12 were

The
Names of the Twelve

Mark 3

1.
Simon

2.
James son of Zebedee

3.
John son of Zebedee

4.
Andrew

5.
Philip

6.
Bartholomew

7.
Matthew

8.
Thomas

9.
James son of Alphaues

10.
Thaddalaus

11.
Simon the Zealot

12.
Judas Iscariot

Luke 6:12-16

1.
Simon

2.
James son of Zebedee

3.
John son of Zebedee

4.
Andrew

5.
Philip

6.
Bartholomew

7.
Matthew

8.
Thomas

9.
James son of Alphaeus

10.
Judas son of James

11.
Smimon the Zealot

12.
Judas Iscariot

Acts 1:13

1.
Simon

2.
James son of Zebedee

3.
John son of Zebedee

4.
Andrew

5.
Philip

6.
Bartholow

7.
Matthew

8.
Thomas

9.
James son of Alphaeus

10.
Judas son of James

11.
Simon the Zealot

12.
Judas Iscariot

John 1:37-40;

14:22, 21:2

1.
Simon

2.
James son of Zebedee

3.
John son of Jebedee

4.
Andrew

5.
Philip

6.
Nathanael

7.
(no mention)

8.
Thomas

9.
(no mention)

10.
Judas (not Iscariot)

11.
(no mention)

12.
Judas Iscariot

2.

3. Idealized
figures; regents of Israel

IV. Mary
Magdalene

A. Upsetting role for the tradition

1. Branded
a prostitute

2. Yet
portrayed as ideal disciple (John 20:11-18)

3. All
4 gospels agree she is first witness of resurrection

4. yet
Paul makes no mention of her in 1Cor 15 list of witnesses

B. Mary Magdalene in Later Tradition

1. Dialogue
of the Savior (Gnostic) - Mary is more important than all the other apostles

2. Gospel
of Phillip - states that the Lord loved her more than all the others